Ducati breaks with tradition: “Sometimes you’ve got to have the guts!”

With Nicolo Bulegas’s early title win in Cremona, Ducati has crowned the extraordinary strength of the new Panigale V4R. After ten race weekends of the 2026 Superbike World Championship, the tally stands at 30 wins from 30 races. The new generation of Superbikes has thus dominated from the very start of the season.

For Ducati Technical Coordinator Marco Zambenedetti, this record is the result of a collective effort. In an exclusive interview with SPEEDWEEK.com, the Ducati Technical Coordinator also paid special tribute to those whose work takes place away from the racetrack.

“Of course I’m very proud,” commented the Italian. “I’m proud of everyone involved in this project. I have the utmost respect for these people. We’ve done an incredible job. But that also applies to the riders and those responsible for rider selection and managing the team.”

Ducati-Technikkoordinator Marco Zambenedetti

Foto: Ducati

Ducati’s task: making a very good motorbike even better

Developing the new V4R presented Ducati with a challenging task: the previous bike was already a success. Any improvements therefore had to be made without compromising the very characteristics that had previously enabled the Panigale to win races. Zambenedetti believes they have struck exactly the right balance.

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“We were able to address our biggest weaknesses without sacrificing our strengths. The results are the outcome of a very good working approach and great commitment from the manufacturer,” said the Ducati engineer. His positive assessment is not limited to the racetrack, however. “The market response has also been very good. And here in the paddock, too, we’ve received excellent feedback.”

A break with tradition – and a successful one at that!

A particularly noticeable break with previous design was the switch from a single-sided swingarm to a double-sided swingarm. For many Ducati traditionalists, the single-sided swingarm was an integral part of the Panigale’s identity. The decision to abandon this familiar feature was, unsurprisingly, the subject of critical debate.

Ducati-Einarmschwinge: Von 1994 bis 2002 und von 2008 bis 2025 im Einsatz

Foto: Gold & Goose

Given the results so far, Zambenedetti finds it easy to defend the courage behind this change. For him, the project demonstrates why a manufacturer must also question even successful concepts.

“We’ve had a very positive response from the market. All Ducatisti are proud to have a Ducati in their garage and to ride these fantastic motorbikes. Sometimes you have to have the guts to break with a tried-and-tested system to see just how good new ideas can be. At the end of the day, all Ducatisti are proud of the results we’ve been able to celebrate this year.”

The winning streak cannot, of course, be attributed to a single technical change alone. However, it confirms that the overall package of the new V4R works. Ducati has further developed a successful foundation, deliberately doing away with a design feature that had long seemed indispensable to many fans.

Ducati hopes its rivals will follow suit

At the same time, this dominance raises the question of how other manufacturers can close the gap on Ducati again. Zambenedetti would like to see stronger rivals, but is critical of constantly imposing limitations on the strongest teams.

“Looking at the results, I hope that the other manufacturers will remain part of the game with greater focus and dedication. We prefer to help the weaker teams rather than restrict the successful ones. But everyone should have the chance to make it onto the podium,” he explained.

Superbike-WM 2026: Nicolo Bulega und dann lange nichts

Foto: Gold & Goose

Following Bulega’s title win, Ducati still has two race weekends left to build on its flawless season record so far. At the same time, attention is already turning to 2027. The switch to Michelin also presents a new development challenge for the currently dominant manufacturer.

Zambenedetti is therefore reluctant to predict whether this dominance can be sustained. “We’re trying to enjoy the remaining races. Next year we’ll face a new challenge. But it’s still rather early to fully understand everything,” remarked the Ducati technical coordinator.